Fat After Lipo

Abdominal liposuction removes visible flab, but it may cause an increase in deeper belly fat—unless patients take protective measures. Among 36 sedentary women who underwent the procedure (most of whom were at a healthy weight beforehand), half remained inactive, while the other half started exercising three times a week, walking or running on a treadmill as well as lifting weights. After six months, the liposuction results remained, but the untrained group showed a gain in visceral fat, which surrounds organs and is linked with heart-disease risk, reports Fabiana Benatti, a scientist at the University of São Paulo in Brazil. Liposuction may damage fat cells just below the skin, causing the body to deposit new fat deeper in the abdomen, she surmises. Exercise totally prevented visceral-fat gain, however, so it's essential after the surgery, she says.